Special Educational Needs Policy Rationale January 2017 All students are of equal value and are entitled to a full, broad and balanced curriculum. The achievements of all students are recognised and rewarded throughout their school career. All teachers are teachers of special educational needs. We recognise that it is the teacher s responsibility to meet the needs of all children in their class through their classroom organisation, teaching materials, teaching style and differentiation. However, if the student does not make adequate progress even when teaching approaches are targeted at a student s identified area of weakness, then the student may be identified as having special educational needs. Our objectives when making provision for students with SEN include: The aims of education for students with difficulties and disabilities are the same as those for all students. It is the responsibility of all teachers to identify and meet the special educational needs of students. In this they can draw on the resources of the whole school. Every child is entitled to have his or her particular needs recognised and addressed. To offer high quality support to ensure that all needs are met. To maximise the opportunities for students with special educational needs to join in all the activities of the school. Consideration of SEN crosses all curriculum areas and all aspects of teaching and learning. Any student may encounter difficulties in school at some stage. All special educational provision is more effective if students and parents are fully involved. To seek the views of the child and take them into account. To acknowledge and draw on parent knowledge and expertise in relation to their child. This policy will contribute to achieving these objectives by ensuring that provision for students with SEN is a matter for the whole school and is a part of the continuous cycle of assessment and review. This policy complies with the statutory requirements in the SEND Code of Practice 0 25 years 2014 and should be read in conjunction with the following guidance, information and policies: The school s SEN Information Report on the school website (School s offer) The LA Guidance Children & Young People with SEND; Guidance School Based Support Statutory Guidance on Supporting Pupils at School with Medical Conditions (April 2014) The Safeguarding Policy Behaviour policy 1
Roles and Responsibilities The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) The SENCo s responsibilities include: Overseeing the day to day operating of the school s SEN policy. Co-ordinating provision for students with special educational needs. Liaising with and advising teachers. Managing the SEN team (teachers and Teaching Assistants). Liaising with parents of students with special educational needs. Liaising with external agencies such as Educational Psychologist, Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist (SALT), School Nurse. The SENCo meets regularly with SENCos in other schools to ensure continuity of provision for students and to share good practice. The School Staff All teachers are teachers of children with SEN and adapt the curriculum to meet their needs. They continually monitor individual students progress to ensure full access to the whole curriculum. All staff are aware of the procedures for identifying, assessing and making provision for students with SEN. The Headteacher The Headteacher has responsibility for ensuring that this policy is implemented and for reporting to Governors on the work of the SEN Department. Governors The SEN Governor is responsible for liaison between the SENCo and the Governing Body. In turn, the Governing Body will use its best endeavours to secure that the necessary provision is made for any student who has SEN. The SEN governor is Christine Butler. Identification, Assessment and Provision At Spen Valley High School we take SEN to include those students who have a particular difficulty in accessing the curriculum both formal and informal because of specific / general learning difficulties, emotional or behavioural difficulties or physical disabilities. All students are assessed with regard to their reading and spelling ability upon entry into the school. This information is used in conjunction with data and information from previous schools (eg KS2 SATs) to determine if the student requires additional support and to be placed on the SEN register. The SENCo also liaises with the Local Authority (LA) and feeder schools in order to gather all the necessary information to ensure continuity of provision for students. Students who are identified as having some form of need which requires additional support are placed on the school s SEN register. This ensures that all staff are aware of the student, the difficulty they incur and can then provide for them accordingly. 2
The majority of students will have their needs met through normal classroom arrangements (Quality First Teaching) and appropriate differentiation. Differentiation means teaching a student in ways and at levels which match their ways of learning. Students make progress at different rates; not all students learn in the same way and need to be taught in different ways. All students will receive help through differentiation but if the student does not make adequate progress, the school will do more to help. SEND Register The department uses provision mapping as a means of informing others about what support is available and which students are accessing the support. Targets are set for students which are appropriate to their need and the support they receive. Targets are reviewed regularly and have, in some instances, replaced the use of Additional Needs Plans. Support is offered through a graduated approach: School Support In the earliest stages we identify students who are not making expected progress. This may be due to learning or behavioural difficulties and these needs will be addressed in the classroom and also through intervention, such as withdrawal groups. Students will then be placed on the SEND register to acknowledge to all staff what the needs are and that there is sustained intervention in place. If the student does not make sufficient progress the school may seek further advice and support from other specialists e.g. Educational Psychologist, Speech Therapist, Physiotherapist and Occupational Therapist. Students and parents will be fully involved and kept informed about the involvement of external agencies and proposed interventions. Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) / Statement A statement of Special Educational Need / EHCP is issued by the Local Authority (LA). A copy of this is sent in the term preceding the student s transition so that appropriate support can be planned and in place for their entry. The necessary support, in the form of classroom support, specialist lessons and general resources, and in line with the recommendations of the statement / EHCP, is then provided. An Annual Review is held where the views of both the parents and student are sought, as well as any Outside Agency where appropriate. In Year 9 and Year 11 the school s Careers Advisor (Karen Bennett) also attends the Transition Review to provide further advice and support. Teaching staff have access to part B of the EHCP which details the student s area(s) of need. In light of the SEN Code of Practice 2014 there is a transition period until June 2018 where statements will be transferred on to EHCPs. Until that time, some students will have a statement whilst others will have an EHCP, depending on their year group at the start of the process. 3
Monitoring and Reviewing All students are monitored through termly assessment reports which provide information on their progress and performance. Students also have their reading and spelling tested annually to ensure adequate progress is being made or to identify where there is some difficulty. Range of Provision We aim to provide support for all students who need it. Those who have a statement / EHCP are our priority but we are also able to provide various forms of support for other students on the SEND register. Where possible, a Teaching Assistant is present to ensure all work is recorded, accessed and understood. Students may be withdrawn from a full lesson or tutorial session to receive additional support with their literacy / numeracy skills. We also provide support with social and emotional needs, handwriting, physiotherapy and behaviour management. Exam arrangements The difficulties some students face means they find it difficult to access written exams. Our aim is to find ways of enabling our students to be as successful as possible, especially when it comes to external exams. For GCSEs we assess students and apply to the exam boards for extra time, readers and scribes for those students we feel would benefit. These students must satisfy the exam boards criteria and their decision is final. Outside Agencies To ensure we provide the best support possible we liaise regularly with appropriate outside agencies. These services provide us with additional advice and support and help us to address the needs of our students successfully. We also have established links with local special schools who provide us with more specialised teaching advice. Complaints Procedure Contact the immediate Line Manager of the member of staff dealing with the complaint. In the area of SEN, this will be Mrs Jagger. Mrs Jagger is also the Senior Manager who has responsibility for SEN. If the problem stills remains unresolved then contact the Headteacher. Any case of formal complaint in writing is always brought to the attention of the Governing Body and investigated thoroughly. Partnership with Parents Partnership with parents plays a key role in enabling students and young people with SEN to achieve their potential. The school recognises that parents hold key information and 4
have knowledge and experience to contribute to the shared view of a child s needs and the best ways of supporting them. All parents of students with special educational needs will be treated as partners and supported to play an active and valued role in their child s education. Admissions Students with SEN are given the highest priority within our admissions criteria see Admissions Policy. For students with a statement, the SENCo may attend their Year 6 Annual Review to provide additional information about the school and the support which will be offered. Parents also have an opportunity to discuss any worries with the SENCo by: Attending the Open Evening at Spen Valley High School held in September prior to the student s transfer. Attending the Year 6 Evening held in June/July Telephoning school and making an appointment to speak to the SENCo. Emailing the SENCo directly. Access arrangements Please see the school s SEN Information Report. Kirklees Local Offer The Kirklees Local Offer gives children and young people aged 0 25 years with special educational needs or disabilities, and their families, information about what is available in Kirklees across education, health and social care. You can access this using the address below. www.kirkleeslocaloffer.org.uk/#/ SENCo Contact details: Helen Travis htravis@spenvalleyhighschool.co.uk Reviewed: January 2017 Next Review: January 2018 5